LCSO Deputies save man from burning homeStalking charges dropped against Bonita jeweler who had accusations against Marceno
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO Deputies save man from burning home A dramatic rescue unfolded in North Fort Myers as deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office saved a disabled man from a burning home.
Stalking charges dropped against Bonita jeweler who had accusations against Marceno A man at the center of accusations against the Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno won’t be charged in a separate case.
SANIBEL Historic Bailey’s Store in Sanibel plans comeback after storms Bailey’s General Store, a beloved Sanibel institution since the 1800s, is making a comeback after suffering significant damage from recent hurricanes.
ENGLEWOOD Lemon Bay High’s programs drive 98% graduation rate Lemon Bay High School in Englewood boasts an impressive 98% graduation rate, surpassing the state’s nearly 90% rate.
FORT MYERS Bishop Verot grad celebrates national title with Ohio State Former Bishop Verot safety Leroy Roker wins the national championship with Ohio State.
DORAL House Republicans focus on Trump agenda at annual retreat in Doral U.S. House Republicans have gathered at Trump National Doral for their annual retreat, known as the “Issues Conference.”
GAINESVILLE UF Title IX investigation into Todd Golden closed Title IX investigation into Florida Gators men’s basketball head coach is closed after the university found “no evidence” of a Title IX violation.
New surgical robot helps patients recover faster Robot-assisted surgeries are transforming the operating room by turning major operations into smaller, less invasive procedures.
TALLAHASSEE Lawmakers cancel special session called by Gov. DeSantis There was some chaos and defiance earlier this morning as a special session got underway in Tallahassee.
Sugarshack Downtown music venue goes live in Bonita Springs Following a series of private invitation-only events, the live music venue with a full-service restaurant and bars launches to the general public Jan. 31 across Old 41 Road from the city’s Riverside Park bandshell. A grand opening celebration is planned in early February.
Foxtail Coffee Co., Eagle Specialty Coffee open in Cape Coral The two coffee shops are almost identical in size, shape and layout. Both rely on drive-thru windows for more than half their business. Both are located off Pine Island Road in Cape Coral, and both are part of relatively small companies when compared to the behemoth that’s located roughly halfway between them.
Jury selection begins for Charlotte County teen accused of murdering his mother Jury selection begins for the 17-year-old accused of killing his mother, who could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted.
PUNTA GORDA Quarter auction to benefit Sgt. Elio Diaz in Punta Gorda There will be a quarterly auction in Punta Gorda to benefit Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sgt. Elio Diaz, who died last year while conducting a traffic stop.
Charlotte deputies searching for armed suspect on the run The hunt is on for a suspect who fled from Charlotte County deputies when they went to arrest him on a Sarasota warrant on Sunday.
FORT MYERS Lee Health holds groundbreaking ceremony in Fort Myers Lee Health is expanding its reach and held an event for a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Fort Myers campus.
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO Deputies save man from burning home A dramatic rescue unfolded in North Fort Myers as deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office saved a disabled man from a burning home.
Stalking charges dropped against Bonita jeweler who had accusations against Marceno A man at the center of accusations against the Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno won’t be charged in a separate case.
SANIBEL Historic Bailey’s Store in Sanibel plans comeback after storms Bailey’s General Store, a beloved Sanibel institution since the 1800s, is making a comeback after suffering significant damage from recent hurricanes.
ENGLEWOOD Lemon Bay High’s programs drive 98% graduation rate Lemon Bay High School in Englewood boasts an impressive 98% graduation rate, surpassing the state’s nearly 90% rate.
FORT MYERS Bishop Verot grad celebrates national title with Ohio State Former Bishop Verot safety Leroy Roker wins the national championship with Ohio State.
DORAL House Republicans focus on Trump agenda at annual retreat in Doral U.S. House Republicans have gathered at Trump National Doral for their annual retreat, known as the “Issues Conference.”
GAINESVILLE UF Title IX investigation into Todd Golden closed Title IX investigation into Florida Gators men’s basketball head coach is closed after the university found “no evidence” of a Title IX violation.
New surgical robot helps patients recover faster Robot-assisted surgeries are transforming the operating room by turning major operations into smaller, less invasive procedures.
TALLAHASSEE Lawmakers cancel special session called by Gov. DeSantis There was some chaos and defiance earlier this morning as a special session got underway in Tallahassee.
Sugarshack Downtown music venue goes live in Bonita Springs Following a series of private invitation-only events, the live music venue with a full-service restaurant and bars launches to the general public Jan. 31 across Old 41 Road from the city’s Riverside Park bandshell. A grand opening celebration is planned in early February.
Foxtail Coffee Co., Eagle Specialty Coffee open in Cape Coral The two coffee shops are almost identical in size, shape and layout. Both rely on drive-thru windows for more than half their business. Both are located off Pine Island Road in Cape Coral, and both are part of relatively small companies when compared to the behemoth that’s located roughly halfway between them.
Jury selection begins for Charlotte County teen accused of murdering his mother Jury selection begins for the 17-year-old accused of killing his mother, who could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted.
PUNTA GORDA Quarter auction to benefit Sgt. Elio Diaz in Punta Gorda There will be a quarterly auction in Punta Gorda to benefit Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sgt. Elio Diaz, who died last year while conducting a traffic stop.
Charlotte deputies searching for armed suspect on the run The hunt is on for a suspect who fled from Charlotte County deputies when they went to arrest him on a Sarasota warrant on Sunday.
FORT MYERS Lee Health holds groundbreaking ceremony in Fort Myers Lee Health is expanding its reach and held an event for a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Fort Myers campus.
Doug Garrett (Credit: WINK News) Friends called him the “Mayor of Naples.” WINK News called him family. Doug Garrett is remembered by WINK News as a passionate journalist who cared for the community. The photojournalist is mourned by his WINK News family and loved ones after he unexpectedly passed away over the weekend. Doug was with WINK News since 2017 after working at several other media outlets in Southwest Florida. “Every single time I was sent down to do a story, immediately the interviewee would kind of bypass me and go straight up and shake Doug’s hand,” said WINK News Anchor Lindsey Sablan, “He’d often ask a person where they were from, he’d find a Midwest connection, name a sports team, and before you knew it, you hadn’t even started the interview. They’re already looking at Doug and not focused on you.” Doug was always available with his WINK polo, WINK hat and gear, ready to go. WINK News’ Assignment Editor, Robin Wolf, was the one who would wake Doug up to go to breaking news some mornings. Robin recalled his dedication and attention to detail. “He would call and he would say, ‘Hey, how’s my shot? How’s everything? How’s it sound?'” she said. Doug was there when hurricanes Ian and Irma slammed into Southwest Florida. He was there last Friday night, when Dunbar beat Naples on the last play of the game. Doug loved football, especially college football and his LSU Tigers. No one was surprised when he named his dog Nola. Doug with his dog, Nola (Credit: WINK News) “There were two times where he made jokes at my expense for being a Florida fan,” said Sports Reporter Zach Oliveri. “He’s like, ‘I included a shot in there that I think you’d like.’ I scroll through it, and it’s a kid with an LSU shirt on. Then there was another time when one of the schools was doing something similar to Florida State’s Tomahawk chop. He made sure to put that in there to kind of rag on me a little bit.” WINK News Reporter Jolena Esperto remembered how kind and calm Doug was, even when tensions ran high. “I was cramming to try to get him out in time. He’s like, ‘Don’t worry, it’s OK.’ I’m like, ‘OK, you gathered everything. You can go. I’ll stay here and I’ll finish.’ He’s like, ‘I’d rather wait until you submitted everything and you’re OK. Don’t worry about me.’ And he just waited,” Jolena said. “He packed up all my things in my own bag and put them into my car while I was working, running around like a crazy person typing and submitting. He was just like, ‘Don’t worry, I got time. Don’t worry. It’s OK.'” Each person who worked with Doug has their Doug story. Every memory made will always be cherished.